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Well, it seems I've given in...

Hi. If you are here, you probably know me from The Fedora Lounge or are otherwise a friend of mine. I recently decided to start a blog in light of a fellow Fedora Lounge member -- and WGA writer -- starting his own. I don't really like MySpace blogs that much, I'll be honest. I used to have another account on there, but I deleted it. I've opened another one, but only use it for friends who don't have Facebook or don't use Facebook as often. I prefer that for networking. What will go here are my thoughts, my experiences, and my clothing obsession.
Now, for the first rant.
Some have called me metrosexual. I despise that word, for the record. It implies that to be well-dressed you should normally be a gay man. And we know that a certain aforementioned forum full of young and old men alike disproves that. It also shows that some young women still have style, rather than giving in to the fashions of Crocs, ugly "distressed" low rise jeans, and purposely torn shirts. No offence towards you if you do, but... it's just not all that becoming. Just as wearing too much makeup isn't.
If you run into me in a restaurant or diner late at night (which you'll often see me in), you may ask, "Why are you so dressed up?" My reply will simply be, "Why not?" I'm not attempting to be a snob, elitist, "too big for my britches" or anything of the sort. What I'm trying to do is recapture a certain loss of decorum that's evident today. Back then -- meaning in the mid 20th century or earlier -- men wore suits or sport coats out to dinner, during their work day, to see movies/concerts/plays or especially on a date at that restaurant. To wear something as casual as jeans would be an insult. Not that anyone is insulted nowadays, but the problem is that many are losing respect for others at certain functions. Funerals, for example. I'm going to be frank. Unless you're just dirt poor or was only notified at very short notice, you should at least be wearing a tie to a funeral. Anything less is rude. At the funeral of a dear young girl who I really should have gotten to know better, I showed up in a black suit and dark blue, subdued tie with white shirt. Others wore black shirts. Perfectly appropriate. But to see kids from all over in cargo shorts, some in jeans and polos... it made my heart sink. Khakis and a buttoning shirt with tie would have been acceptable but no, it was just too much work for them. That sort of thinking has got to stop.
Suits were once the symbol of authority and "normality," whatever the hell normal is, but are now looked upon as rebellious to be worn anywhere outside of a job that requires it or a wedding. If I even so much as wear a sport coat, shirt, trousers, and shined shoes people give me weird looks or ask what I'm so dressed up for. Same if I'm wearing sneakers and jeans in substitute. Something about a shirt and coat is apparently a "suit" to many people now. A friend of mine was referred to as "that fag in the suit" by some mouth breather at a party when he wore the latter outfit.
I ask, why is it when we're getting better at our attitudes towards race, gender, and homosexual equality since the latter part of the 20th century that we're turning into slobs at the same time? Why can't we have both? Why can't any of the same companies that have made great clothing for 100 years make them nearly as well anymore? Can we not be better dressed, and better in morality? I don't know, honestly. This is why I like designers like Thom Browne. He is making it cool to wear suits again. I don't agree with wearing trousers high watered, or jackets too snug, but I agree with his vision. (And yes, his suits are perfectly wearable if you wear the right size, though a tad expensive for most of our budgets.) I'd like to see more young men in suits, and it has certainly caught on in New York from what I've heard. We may yet be seeing a revival. :)
Speaking of clothing, as the temperatures get cooler in Gainesville, I've been having a look-see at one of these. Very elegant for a pea coat. My Old Navy one is functional, but not all that great. I think it's time for it to be replaced by something that'll last longer and look better. As background, these guys are the official makers of pea coats for U.S. forces, namely the Coast Guard and Navy. This is a civilian version, which ironically has a better design and fabric than the official issue. The standing collar keeps one's neck a little warmer, as do the higher fastening eight buttons.
Tonight, I saw Star Trek: The Menagerie's theatrical showing. Pretty awesome. The sound could have been in surround though... especially considering I paid $12.50 per ticket for this special showing. However, the image quality was fantastic and as usual, the new effects better than expected. There was also a behind the scenes look at the creation of remastered Trek and a nice preview of Season Two on SD/HD-DVD. Not bad.